Art, Movies, Wood and what not . . .

A to Z Lovelies...

2012-01-29T16:57:00.025-05:00

The "E's"

-Eleanor Parker-

-Eliza Dushku-

-Elizabeth Montgomery-

-Ella Raines-

-Ellen Barkin-

-Emily Browning-

-Erica Durance-

-Erica Gavin-

-Erica Rose Campbell-

-Erin Gray-

-Esther Williams-

-Eve Meyer-

-Ewa Sonnet-

A to Z Lovelies...

2012-01-26T19:52:00.016-05:00

The "D's"

-Daisy Van Heyden-

-Dana Benn-

-Danielle Riley-

-Danni Ashe-

-Danuta Lato-

-Dawn Shaw-

-Diane Neal-

-Dolores Del Rio-

-Dolores Moran-

-Donna Douglas-

-Donna Edmonson-

-Donna Michelle-

-Donna Reed-

A to Z Lovelies...

2012-01-22T17:58:00.040-05:00

The "C's"

-Candy Loving-

-Carla Gugino-

-Carol Landis-

-Carole Lombard-

-Charisma Carpenter-

-Charlotte Kemp-

-Chloe Vevrier-

-Christina Applegate-

-Christina Hendricks-

-Christina Ricci-

-Christine Maddox-

-Christy Canyon-

-Christy Hartburg-

-Claire Trevor-

-Clara Bow-

-Claudette Colbert-

-Claudia Cardinale-

-Colleen Farrington-

-Connie Hines-

-Connie Sellecca-

-Constance Bennett-

-Constance Towers-

-Corrine Calvet-

-Crystal Bernard-

-Cyd Charisse-

-Cynthia Myers-

A to Z Lovelies...

2012-01-19T23:54:00.022-05:00

The "B's"

-Barbara Bouchet-

-Barbara Eden-

-Barbara Hershey-

-Barbara Rush-

-Barbara Stanwyck-

-Barbi Benton-

-Bebe Daniels-

-Bette Davis-

-Bettie Ballhaus-

-Bettie Page-

-Betty Field-

-Billie Burke-

-Bonnie Bedelia-

-Brenda Joyce-

-Brenda Marshall-

-Brigitte Bardot-

HAPPY BENDAY!!!!!!!!!!

2012-01-14T11:29:00.008-05:00

The Great William Bendix was born on this day in 1906!

I hope you all have a HAPPY BENDAY!

A-Z Lovelies.....

2012-01-13T20:51:00.016-05:00

Starting with the "A's"

-Abbie Cornish-

-Alexis Smith-

- Alice White-

-Alyson Hannigan-

-Aneli-

-Angela Melini-

-Angelina Jolie-

-Anita Page-

-Ann Baxter-

-Ann Dvorak-

-Ann Francis-

-Ann Miller-

-Ann Sheridan-

-Ann Shirley-

-Ann Sothern-

-Anna Clark-

-Anna Ohura-

-Aria Giovanni-

-Ava Gardner-

-Avy Scot-

How To Read Minds....

2012-01-11T19:06:00.017-05:00

The Warren William way!

First and most crucial is...you MUST wear a bejeweled turban! Without it, no one will believe you have psychic powers!

Second, you MUST learn how to gaze intently into the magic crystal!

Third, you'll need to invest in a small metal urn with a trap door at the bottom!

You'll need the help of a trusted assistant to collect little slips of paper from your audience and drop them into the magic urn! These slips of paper have personal info written on them! They are vital because the psychic energies that flow from them are what you must tune into in order to be a successful mind reader!

Putting ones hands at the side of the required bejeweled turban will help focus your psychic powers! It will also help you to....

...better hear your other trusted assistant waiting under the stage as he speaks into the microphone and reads off whats written on the slips of paper that tumbled down through the trap door on your magic urn! If Allen Jenkins is unavailable (dont cry Ginger!) other good choices would be Frank McHugh, Guy Kibbee or Lyle Talbot, just make sure they lay off the sauce until after showtime!

With great power comes great responsibility! You must learn to focus while dolling out personal advice to your audience members, remember they are entrusting you with their lives!

But no matter how strong your powers and abilites may be, every once in a while you will have an unhappy customer! Hopefully it wont be Humphrey Bogart's wife like it was for poor Warren!

With enough practice and good word of mouth you may progress to dispensing your wisdom to rich society ladies who are intent on knowing who their husbands are running around with!

It will be a tremendous help if your trusted assistant Allen Jenkins is able to procure a job as chaufeur to one of these high society couples!...not only will he be privvy to inside information about his employers that is vital to your psychic powers but he will also be able to gather info from other chaffeurs!

But again, none of this will matter if you dont wear the Turban!!!!

*All screencaps are from WB 1933 production of "The Mind Reader" starring Warren William, Allen Jenkins, Constance Cummings and Mayo Methot and directed by the great Roy Del Ruth.

Arty Central...

2012-01-07T18:35:00.013-05:00

Last month I redid my art studio to make it a more friendly a place to be in!

Some vintage as well as repro movie items tacked about, some of this stuff has been posted here before - now you know I wasnt lying about it!

I've had the Insert style poster for Nick Ray's "Party Girl' for over 20 years now.

Babydoll watches over my shit whil'e I'm at work.

I keep all my art and comic-related books on this shelf. Not much room left tho...

I store my meager comic collection in this small barrister case. That's my autographed Harley Quinn plate on display with my Billiken Ymir and Cyclops figures (Harryhausen anyone?).

Ya gotta have the comfy corner!

I hate blank walls.

Oh yeah there's where I draw. I need more pencils. I've had that Frankenstein trash can since I was 4!

My Puter desk and TV.

Movies, Movies, Movies...

2012-01-03T16:22:00.023-05:00

I've been watching a shitload of movies lately, some new to me, others not seen in many years...most, but not all, have been WB films from the early to mid 30's. I figured I'd list a few and post some pics.

"Lily Turner" (1933) possibly my fave of all Ruth Chatterton's films, its a majorly downbeat but compelling William Wellman picture with a great supporting cast including Guy Kibbee, George Brent, Frank McHugh and a way-over-the-top Robert Barratt. Ruth was one of WB highest paid actresses at that time and I find it incredibly odd that they would put her in a film like this, tho I am glad they did! McHugh gives a sensitive performance as a hopeless drunk.

"Union Depot" (1932) - solid WB pre-code drama with Joan Blondell, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and Guy Kibbee.

"Massacre" (1934), A Modern Hero (1934) "Midnight Alibi" (1934) "Central Airport" (1933) and "Son of the Gods" (1930) - all WB films featuring the awesome Richard Barthelmess, "Massacre" was my fave of the lot, a solid, fast moving drama about the mistreatment of a group of native Americans at a reservation. Character actor Dudley Diggs played his usual unscrupulous scumbag. William Wellman's "Central Airport" is also quite good! John Wayne had a bit part towards the end.

"Flowing Gold" (1940) fast moving WB film starring John Garfield, Pat O'Brien and Frances Farmer. Its basically a re-re-re-re-hash of Howard Hawks' "Tiger Shark" (which was also rehashed as "Slim" and "Manpower" among others) but with that cast it's certainly watchable.

"Kid Galahad" (1937) The only teaming of Edward G Robinson and Bette Davis is reason enough to check this one out but add in Humphrey Bogart as a (big surprise!) crooked boxing manager named "Turkey Morgan" and Harry Carey Sr, plus solid drection from Michael Curtiz and it becomes a must-see!

"The Match King" (1932), "Expensive Women" (1931), "Employees Entrance" (1933), "The Dark Horse" (1932), "Day-Time Wife" (1939), "Times Square Playboy" (1936) "Beauty and the Boss" (1932) and "The Mind Reader" (1933) - all featuring my go-to guy of late, the outrageous Warren William! I LOVE that guy!!!!

"Gun Crazy" (1950) John Dall and Peggy Cummins play (you guessed it) a gun-crazy couple who go on a robbery spree. Low budget but very effective noir, this HAS to be a Tarantino favorite!

"Lilies of the Field" (1963) - Heavy religious stuff aside I really enjoyed this film. Best scene is when Sidney Poitier, after nearly starving for days eating nothing but Catholic breakfasts, and soup and bread for supper, orders a ridiculously huge breakfast at a roadside eatery. It was a near orgasmic experience for him!

"The St Louis Kid" (1934), "Snowed Under" (1936), "Boulder Dam" (1936) and "Rhythm in the Clouds" (1937) all featuring Patricia Ellis. The first 2 were the best with Pat being a good foil for Cagney in "St Louis Kid". "Snowed Under" stars George Brent and is quite hilarious.

"The Threat" (1949) rock solid film noir with great charactor actor Charles MacGraw in one of his few starring roles as a psychotic killer who just escaped from prison and is doing a hell of a good job avenging those who put him away! Very tense and well-acted by all, tho leading man Michael O'Shay is REALLY low-key!

"Jimmy the Gent" (1934) Hilarious Cagney vehicle co-starring Bette Davis, Alice White and WB perrenial dim-bulb Allen Jenkins.

"Broadway Babies" (1929) and "Showgirl in Hollywood" (1930) 2 early talkies directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring WB answer to Clara Bow, Alice White. I enjoyed their crudeness and pre- code raciness. Alice is simply adorable in both!

"Fear and Desire" (1953) Stanely Kubrick's very first film is a rather pretentious, arty and amatuerish anti-war tale but its certainly interesting, especially in light of the fact that 2 cinematic masterpieces (The Killing and Paths of Glory) would follow in only a few short years.

"Super 8" (2011) its E.T. meets Cloverfield from the guys who made E.T. and Cloverfield.

"The Torrent" (1926), "The Single Standard" (1929), "A Woman of Affairs" (1928) "Love" (1927), "The Kiss" (1929) "Inspiration" (1931) and "Romance" (1930) all starred Greta Garbo. "The Torrent" is easily my fave of the bunch. Garbo is simply mezermising in her American silent film debut. Nearly as good is "A Woman of Affairs", one of several pairings with John Gilbert.

"Side Streets" (1934) and "Stranger in Town" (1932) 2 WB B-films featuring Ann Dvorak. "Side Streets" was a solid little picture with a rare starring role for character actress Aline MacMahon. "Stranger in Town" was a silly but fun Chic Sales vehicle.

"Sons-o-Guns" (1936) and "Three Girls About Town" (1941) both starred Joan Blondell, the first a rather limp Joe E. Brown vehicle that had a few good scenes, the second a hilarious comedy of errors that takes place in a hotel. I really enjoyed that one!

"Lilian Gish: The Actors Life for Me" (1988) completly absorbing documentary with the first lady of the silent screen sharing stories and anecdotes about her years with Griffith, the talkies and her philosophies about acting and life in general. Highly recommended!!!!

HAPPY HARLEYDAYS!

2011-12-23T14:21:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday Kirk Douglas!

2011-12-09T19:30:00.024-05:00

The actor/director/producer/writer/force of nature/legend turns 95 years old today!

Kirks winds up just a hair behind James Cagney as my all time fave and as I have said here before, at times I feel he really is the greatest actor of them all.

My picks for "Essential Kirk"...

"The Strange Love of Martha Ivers" - 1946
Kirks first screen appearance was in this solid Lewis Milestone drama starring Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin. Right from the beginning Kirk's screen presence was unmistakable!

"Out of the Past" - 1947
The Archetypal film noir and a must-see weather you're a Kirk fan or not!

"I Walk Alone" - 1948
The First film to pair Kirk with Burt Lancaster is a solid and fascinating look at 2 bootleggers and what happens when one of them crosses the other while he's doing time. Lancaster and Douglas are intense and their scenes are electric! This film also contains one of the most brutal beatings from any film of its era!

"Champion" - 1949
This is the film that made Kirk a star and he earned every acolade and then some for his incredible performance as an unscrupulous boxer punching his way to the top. One of THE great boxing dramas of all time!

"Ace in the Hole" - 1951
Billy Wilder's brutally uncompromising look at human behavior at its worst! In his autobiography Kirk said he kept asking Wilder if he was sure he wanted his character to be so unsympathetic...Wilder's response was "Go in with both knees!"...trust me he does! This film is even more relevant today than ever. Watch it and see if you dont agree!!

"Detective Story" - 1951
Kirk plays uncompromising detective Jim McLeod in William Wylers film adaptation of Sidney Kingsley's play. Kirk gives a performance of almost non-stop mind numbing intensity! At times it literally feels as if he is reaching out, grabbing you by your shirt and yanking you out of your seat! This one get my highest recommendation.

"The Bad and the Beautiful" - 1952
"One of the best movies about making movies, ever made!" - Steven Speilberg
He's right!

"Lust for Life" - 1956
The only thing about this film that's more astonishing than Kirks' performance as tormented artist Vincent Van Gogh is the fact that he did not win the Oscar for best actor! A beautifully realized production in every sense with oustanding supporting performances by Anthony Quinn and James Donald and incredible color cinematography by Russell Harlan and Freddie Young. My favorite Vincent Minnelli film.

"Paths of Glory" - 1957
Stanley Kubrick's searing anti-war masterpiece is simply one of the greatest films ever made. The fact that it ever got made at all is something we can all thank Kirk Douglas for!

"Last Train from Gun Hill" - 1959
Not as well-known as "Gunfight at O.K Corral", the other western that Kirk made with director John Sturges a few years earlier, but this is a solid, gritty and tense little film with a cat and mouse give and take between Kirk and Anthony Quinn that is really something to see!

"Spartacus" - 1960
Kirk is probably associated with this character more than any other he played in his career! Excellent film with a great cast, beautiful cinematography and an amazing score by Alex North, definitely NOT to be missed! Historically important as the film that smashed the blacklist by giving screenwriter Dalton Trumbo credit and also for being Stanley Kubrick's last Hollywood production.

"Lonely are the Brave" - 1962
This is one of those gems that didnt do much business on its initial release but has developed a following over the years. Kirk has long mentioned this as his own personal favorite of his films because "I got to play a nice guy for once!" but anyone who's seen it and knows a bit of Douglas' story will realize it goes WAY deeper than that! A small, intimate picture about a modern day cowboy coping with the onslaught of progress. Beautifully written by Dalton Trumbo with a heartfelt, understated performance from Kirk Douglas. The poignancy of this film grows only more intense for me as the years go by. And that final shot is a doozie!

"Seven Days in May" - 1964
My favorite of all the Douglas/Lancaster team ups and one of my fave films of the 60's, period! A tense, incredibly well-acted political drama with a brilliant screenplay by Rod Serling and masterful direction from John Frankenheimer. This one also gets my highest recommendation!

"The War Wagon" - 1967
Rip-roaring silly western fun with Kirk and the Duke! Sit back and enjoy!

The Fun Never Stops!!....

2011-11-28T21:30:00.005-05:00

Some new vintage items that I have acquired recently...

Vintage still of Joe E Brown and Patricia Ellis from "Bright Lights"- 1935

Vintage 5" x 7" publicity photo of Patricia Ellis

Page from a vintage 1943 autograph album signed by Warner Bros workhorse character actor, Guy Kibbee.

For those that dont recognize the name you might recognize the face! Kibbee appeared in dozens of classics at WB including "42nd Street", "Footlight Parade", "Gold Diggers of 1933", "The World Changes" and so on and so on...he also appeared in films at other studios like "Mr Smith Goes to Washington", "Our Town" and "Three Godfathers"

I saved the best for last, this just came today...beautiful vintage double weight photo of Olivia DeHavilland signed AND inscribed by her to the great director Mervyn LeRoy! I'll need to find a very special frame to put this one in!

New Fun Stuff!

2011-11-02T23:29:00.005-04:00

Some new vintage stuff came into my possession within the past few days...

Vintage 5" x 7" promotional still signed by Dick Powell! a very generous gift from my good friend Mr Door Tree! Thanks Mr Tree!!!

In my attempts to keep up with my reputation of the world's biggest Patricia Ellis fan I picked up another vintage postcard, this one in primo condition, definitely was never used! price with shipping $7.00!

And last but certainly not least a signed and inscribed vintage 8" x 10" still of Miss Ellis. Printed on heavy paper with a bit of staining in the corners, probably the result of someone glueing it into an album of some kind. This will look mighty fine matted, framed and hanging on the wall with my other movie star autos, whoooooooooopeeeeee!

Happy Harleyween 2011

2011-10-26T00:45:00.005-04:00

What could be better than celebrating Halloween with the Maiden of Mirth?...I started this tradition last year and intend on keeping it going for as long as i feel like keeping it going!

I've been giving my art studio a much-needed overhaul but spent a few nights on this for the holiday. 2H and HB pencils on drawing paper. Ok everybody lets hear a Halloween Happy Harley Squeak, on three...1...2...3...squeee!

New Artwork...

2011-10-22T15:29:00.008-04:00

An impossibly long-legged model aquaintence of mine (Man, I sound like Brando in "Streetcar"!) over at Deviant Art asked if anyone wanted to draw her as an Alien and I thought it would be fun to give it a shot! What I ended up with looks to me like a cross between an H.R. Geiger chick, a Sorayama fetish painting and an alien babe from the old Star Trek but she loves it!

Title - "OUCH!"
Graphite on approx 8" x 12" drawing paper

WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

2011-10-06T21:11:00.014-04:00

Joe E Brown is having a Baby Party and you're ALL invited WHOOOOPEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

A vintage 8 x 10 still from "Broadminded" 1931, directed by Mervyn LeRoy and starring Joe E., Thelma Todd and... BELA LUGOSI!!! This wacky film opens with an adult "baby party"...it is slightly disturbing until Joe shows up, then it becomes HELLA-disturbing! but its one of Joe's best WB comedies and Lugosi is a riot as the "villain"!

Hoping to get another installment of my Paul Muni tribute ready by the weekend!

New Fun Stuff...

2011-09-26T21:21:00.006-04:00

Because fun stuff is....fun!

Vintage 5" x 7" studio promotional picture of WB starlet Patricia Ellis circa mid 1930's - in almost "like new" condition!

Vintage 5" x 7" studio promotional picture of Rosemary Lane, one of the 3 Lane sisters (the other 2 being Priscilla and Lola Lane) that appeared in WB films throughout the late 1930's into the early 40's, most notably the series of films "Four Daughters", "Daughters Courageous", "Four Wives" and "Four Mothers" - FYI the 4th Daughter was played by Gail Page. Whoever owned these before took very good care of them and rest assured the new owner will do likewise!

More of my Paul Muni tribute soon!

New Artwork...

2011-09-24T23:21:00.005-04:00

Just finished this tonight...

Rembering Paul Muni...

2011-09-22T20:58:00.029-04:00

Sept 22nd, 1895 - Aug 25th, 1967

My next few posts will be dedicated to this extraordinary artist...

“If I don’t have the chance to play it, I’ll die. And for me, to get that feeling, a screenplay has to have more than a role it has to have an IDEA!” – Paul Muni

Muni Weisenfreund made his stage debut at age 12 playing an 80 year old man in a skit with his parents who were both show biz veterans. He was hooked and lost all interest in practicing his violin, which did not please his father at all! After a time Muni played parts regularly, always popular and always trying new makeup and beards, he loved changing himself into other characters. Young Muni also loved to go rollerskating outside the theater between shows but didn’t have time to get out of and back into makeup and costume again and so apparently he often caused quite a stir when bystanders would see this very energetic 80 year old man whiz by on roller skates!
His early days in show business were a struggle. He spent several years in Yiddish theater then finally had his Broadway and English speaking debut in “We Americans” in 1926. Muni was so convincing in his role of an old man that one critic wrote: “What an outrage that this old man should have spent a lifetime waiting for his chance to appear on broadway!" In the play “Four Walls” 1927, Muni played a man his own age and was quite terrified to be out on that stage without a beard or fake puttynose to hide behind, but opening night he received a standing ovation and the next day his name was above the title in all newspaper ads and the theater marquee...MUNYA had arrived!!

With Muni making a name for himself on the stage it was only a matter of time before Hollywood came knocking, especially as it was during this time that the invasion of the talkies had begun. Muni made his film debut at Fox Studios in “The Valiant” 1929 with Marguerite Churchill. He received the 1st of his 6 Oscar nominations for best actor but lost out to Warner Baxter. It was at Fox that he was, much to his chagrin, given the name Paul Muni. He was often called “The New Lon Chaney” something he resented but with due respect

“I guess its flattery when well-intentioned people call me a young Chaney. I don’t mean to minimize his art, he’s a master. But we choose our characters differently. Chaney likes to enact the grotesque. I take my characters from the street, real types everyone recognizes. I’ve been playing these characters on stage for nearly 20 years."

Muni’s next film “Seven Faces” had him playing a total of 7 different characters and was designed to capitalize on his mastery of makeup and characterizations but in Muni’s own words it just meant that “I can be 7 times as bad as usual”. He played Don Juan, Napoleon, Franz Schubert and even a Negro boxer! thanks in no small part to the market crash of 29 the film did not fare well. Fox wanted him to play a supporting role in his next film so he decided to leave Hollywood all together and go back to New York. He appeared in a number of plays before receiving a visit from a certain mister Howard Hawks...

"It may be too early to salute Mr Muni as one of the giants of his profession. But as this notice is being written 15 or 20 minutes after his concluding scene, its difficult to think of anything in the drama beyond Mr. Muni's capabilities" - excerpted from a New York Times review by Brooks Atkison after seeing Muni on stage in "This One Man"

Hawks was in new York looking to cast his next picture “Scarface”. Muni liked Hawks but felt he wasn’t the right man for the role. Hawks asked him to make a test and it was that test that convinced Muni he could play the character. Muni admired Hawks’ no-nonsense approach- “I’m a storyteller- that’s the chief function of a director. And they’re moving pictures, lets make ‘em move!” He also admired Ben Hechts hard-boiled screenplay. He was ready to sign but producer Howard Hughes wanted him to fly out to Hollywood and make 2 more tests. Muni refused saying “I’ve got a voice and I’ve got a face and if Mr. Hughes doesn’t know I can act by now he’ll never know. If I never do another picture I wont make another test!”

Obviously he made the picture and on his terms. The reviews were raves, the New York Times saying “The picture is dominated by Mr Muni’s virile and vehement acting”. Hard to believe but Scarface did not receive a single Academy award nomination, most likely due to the fact that Hughes was an independent producer and also had caused quite a ruckus with the censorship board with his film. On Dec 26th 1932 Muni received a postal telegraph which read:

“Dear Paul Muni, May I congratulate you on your very great picture at the Strand I have never seen a finer performance – Noel Coward”

Scarface is a hell of a picture and why not? it has everything going for it! Great script, incredible cast, fantastic visuals and editing and the sure handed direction of the master storyteller Howard Hawks, but Muni takes charge front and center with his high voltage performance. I have never been able to sit through Brian DePalma’s god-awful remake tho I do admire Pacino’s performance. It simply cant hold a candle to the original!
Up next for Muni was the play “Counselor at Law” by Elmer Rice. He caused a sensation and it turned out to be the longest running play of the 1931-32 season. Just around the corner at the Strand, Scarface, after sitting on the shelf for year waiting for victory over the censorship boards, was doing sell-out business, and all this despite the depression!.. much to his own surprise, Muni was now a superstar!

When Warner Bros. obtained the rights for the explosive story that would eventually become “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang, director Mervyn LeRoy immediately took the train to NY to see Muni in Counsellor and wired back: THIS IS OUR MAN! They wanted him for the standard 7 year contract but he refused before he even read the script! Eventually he signed on for 3 films at $50,000 a piece. Muni’s preperation for Chain Gang was intense and extensive, reading everything he could on Robert Burns, the real life character portrayed in the film and also meeting with him, studying how he walked, talked and breathed. This would all be standard practice for the Method actors that came into prominence in the 1950’s but at this point in time Muni’s preparation work was quite unusual for a hollywood film actor!

“I think he is one of the really great actors of this century, the reason? He made the words his own. I believed them when he spoke them. I think that was his great gift” – Screenwriter Sheridan Gibney

Chain Gang is my fave Paul Muni film, and has been a fave film overall since I was in my teens. It is one of the most brutally unflinching, uncompromising and jarring films to watch and that is in no small way due to Muni’s unforgettable performance. It is unfathomable to me that he did not win the academy Award that year for best actor and equally unfathomable that Chain Gang did not win best picture. It is simply one of THE great Hollywood films, period!

Next up was “The World Changes” again with director Mervyn LeRoy. I had the pleasure of viewing this film for the first time just a few weeks ago and enjoyed it very much. It is quite similar to Cimmaron but much better in my opinion. It was the first time Muni played a character from youth to old age onscreen and its quite an amazing transformation. Overall the film seems to fall short of its grand aspirations but its still very watchable and has a fine cast.

He then appeared in the comedy “Hi Nellie!”. By all accounts it's considered a failure, but I have yet to see this picture so I can offer no opinion other than that, failure or not, I really want to see it!

Muni renewed a contract with Warner bros, an unprecedented agreement for an actor during that period...he would make 2 films a year, shot in the May to October periods leaving him free for stage work in the fall and winter. Limited press interviews and approval of story outlines was also part of the deal, all in all he would get $100,000 a picture, twice a year, for 7 years.

“Get some writers cooking on biographical ideas for Muni. Anything but Beethoven. Nobody wants to see a movie about a blind composer” – Jack Warner

To be continued...

More Clara Bow!!!...

2011-09-14T23:05:00.004-04:00

This came into my possession last week, a vintage Lobby Card for "Her Wedding Night" 1930! I really like the design of this one! So now I have 3 vintage Clara Bow Lobby Cards, all in nice shape and all from films I havent seen and may never be able to see!

Movie Watching...

2011-09-07T21:00:00.008-04:00

I've been getting a hella-good dose of classic movie watching the last few weeks and thought I'd review a few of them here. Unless noted, they are all "new to me"...

"The Nuisance" (1933) - Lee Tracy plays a fast-talking schiester lawyer who will go to ANY lengths to win his case. Fun pre-code MGM film with Madge Evans, Frank Morgan and hilarious Charles Butterworth as a career traffic accident victim.

"The Big Shakedown" (1934) - Bette Davis, Charles Farrell and Ricardo Cortez star in half way decent WB b-film about a druggist getting involved with a racketeer who wants him to manufacture various counterfiet household drugstore items. Intersting to see former silent mega-star Farrell (from those legendary films with Janet Gaynor) in a talkie.

"The Finger Points" (1931) - Very interesting pre-code drama from WB starring Richard Barthelmess and Fay Wray and co-starring Clark Gable in one of his awesome early roles as a heavy! My biggest complaint with this film was a relatively slack pace from director John Francis Dillon (who also directed "The Big Shakedown" up above) but I still enjoyed the film and the cast. In the hands of someone like William Wellman this film could have been really special.

Patricia Ellis
"Down the Stretch" (1936), "Sing Me a Love Song" (1936) and "Elmer the Great" (1933) all 3 films had WB ingenue Patricia Ellis in the cast, of whom I might possibly be the worlds biggest fan of! The last of the 3 listed was one of the Joe E. Brown "baseball trilogy" films and easily the least of the 3.

"The World Changes" (1933) - Epic "Cimmaron" type story with Paul Muni brilliantly portraying the rise and fall of a South Dakota farmboy who hits the big time in the cattle industry. Well cast with the always excellent Aline MacMahon, Mary Astor, Margaret Lindsay and yup Patricia Ellis all lending great support but its Muni's film all the way. Directed with gusto by the great Mervyn LeRoy at WB. Not the great film it set out to be but very good!

"Grand Slam" (1933) - If you love playing bridge then this is a must-see! Paul Lukas stars as a waiter who, along with his new wife played by Loretta Young, inadvertantly end up becoming the nations number 1 bridge players! Frank McHugh stole the show as a drunken ghostwriter smitten with Young (who wouldnt be!). Overall i was disappointed in the film WB B-film. The cast really was the best reason to watch.

I was very happy to see that during TCM's awesome Summer under the Stars in August they were devoting an entire day to one of my all-time favorite actresses, Joan Blondell! Too often overlooked and under-appreciated, Joan was a consumate pro and a fine actress. Fact is she never seems like she's acting at all and that IS the trick isnt it? oh yeah, she looks good too!

Joan Blondell
"Good Girls go to Paris" (1939) - Silly story but fun! Joan teams up with Melvyn Douglas and Walter Connolly in fairly zany story of a gold digger who causes all kinds of trouble for all kinds of people yet saves all their asses in the end! I noticed a reviewer on IMDB stated that Joan's gold-digging antics were out of character for her....ummm I guess he/she never saw "Goldiggers of 1993", or 1937, never saw "Havanna Widows", never saw "We're in the Money", never saw "Three men on a Horse, etc etc, etc...playing a gold digger was one of Joan's Stock in trade in the 1930's! Weird seeing Joan in a Columbia picture.

"Traveling Saleslady" (1935) - Joan is a total delight in very silly and fun story of the daughter of a chauvenistic toothpaste tycoon who, because her father refuses to met her work for him, gets a job with his rival and proceeds to nearly put him out of business with her line of "Cocktail flavored toothpastes"! Hugh herbert is hilarious as the bumbling but brilliant chemist who comes up with the various concoctions. Snappy direction by the always snappy Ray Enright.

"Lawyer Man" (1932), "Central Park" (1932), "Big City Blues" (1932), "The Reckless Hour" (1931) "Sinners Holiday" (1930) - All worthy pre-code WB B-films, loaded with sordid people, places and situations and that last one having the bonus of being the screen debuts of Joan AND a certain Mr. Cagney! It had been a good number of years since I last saw any of these so it was great fun revisiting them!

"Sucker Punch" (2011) - Totally awesome hot chicks planning an escape from an insane asylum with insanely cool "action dream sequences" centered around objects needed for their escape. To reveal anymore would be very uncool...just see it for yourself, you'll either love it or hate it!

More new fun stuff!

2011-09-01T19:58:00.008-04:00

This vintage 11" x 14" Lobby Card came in the other day!

Its not a well-known film but "Snowed Under" is a very funny, very fast-moving Warner Bros production from 1936 directed by Ray Enright, who helmed a slew of fun B-pictures at Warners in the 1930's - Here's a quick review I wrote of it in 1997 when I first saw it: "Rapid-fire insanity with George Brent, Patricia Ellis, Genevieve Tobin, Glenda Farrell and hilarious Frank McHugh all spitting out dialogue with machine gun rapidity. Non-stop silliness!"

New Artwork...

2011-08-31T00:57:00.006-04:00

Just finished this last friday night...

Title: "Kinda-Maybe-Somewhat-Semi-Sort-of"

all colored pencil on 15" x 26" museum board, its basically life size. By the time I finished I had used 92 different pencils.

Just having some fun with "Steampunk". This is the first time I ever worked from pictures of a model that I took myself. Yes her neck is really that long and graceful.

It looks better in person.

New Fun Stuff!

2011-08-27T23:25:00.003-04:00

A few new items that have made their way into my collection in the past couple of weeks...

A vintage 8x10 still for WB "Bright Lights" (1935) showing stars Joe E. Brown and Ann Dvorak, Whoooopeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!

Vintage 8x10 still for WB "Union Depot" (1932) which I just had the pleasure of seeing for the first time on the very same day that this still came in the mail! Very fast-moving and fun pre-code picture with a great cast, I thoroughly enjoyed all 67 minutes of it!

Last but certainly not least, a vintage 11x14 Lobby Card for "Torrid Zone", this makes 2 lobby's and a One-sheet I now own for this film, one of my very favorite of Cagney's later WB period and one of the absolute best showcases for Ann Sheridan, who nearly steals the show from everyone!

More fun with Harley Quinn...

2011-08-23T22:20:00.011-04:00

A recent aquisition, a collector plate autographed by Harley herself, Arleen Sorkin! Squee!

Below are 2 sketches I've done recently, just for fun and practice.

Harley Berzerker!

Remembering Clara Bow....

2011-07-29T23:20:00.008-04:00

July 29th, 1907 - Sept 27th, 1965

In a review of the 1926 film "Mantrap", Photoplay magazine said "When she's onscreen nothing else matters! When she is off, the same is true!"

"They yell at me to be dignified! But what are the dignified people like, the people who are held up as examples to me? They are snobs, frightful snobs! I'm a curiosity in Hollywood, a big freak, because I am myself!" - Clara Bow

Remembering Natalie Wood...

2011-07-20T21:39:00.006-04:00

July 20th, 1938 - Nov. 29th, 1981

A photo of my Natalie Wood autograph, a tear out from someone's autograph book (Angie Dickinson's sig is on the back side of it!) framed up with a nice pic of her *sigh*

Of all the films she appeared in "The Searchers" is my favorite but "Love with the Proper Stranger" is where I think Natalie gave her finest performance. For those that havent seen it, treat yourself!...oh yeah some guy named Steve McQueen is in it too!

New Artwork. . .

2011-07-19T01:19:00.003-04:00

title: "Mad Gone World"

all colored pencil on 20" x 29" museum board

* excuse the crappeh pic, its just way too big to scan

more blogger bullshit!

2011-07-07T22:33:00.001-04:00

can anyone out there explain to me WHY i can NOT comment on any of the newer blogs i have started following yet have no problem with the ones from way back? i try to post a comment and it direct me to sign in, then i do, then it brings me back to the page and i do the silly word verificiation and click enter and it redirects me to sign in again etc etc etc endless circle....anyone know a solution to this problem cuz i am just about at the end of my patience with blogspot software stupidity!

"For my next impression...Marlon Brando!

2011-06-28T23:22:00.003-04:00

Happy Birthday Eleanor Parker!

2011-06-26T14:05:00.007-04:00

Born today back in 1922 - Beautiful, talented, glamorous, as an actress Eleanor was a true chameleon, rarely ever looking the same from role to role. She could play any type with credibility, is always an assett to any film she appeared in and has a beautiful voice to match her incredible face.

A scan of the cover of a French Movie magazine I have that I computer colored myself. I've seen several other pictures from this same photo session and have to say they are some of my all-time favorite pictures of a movie actress ever taken. Below are some other pics I have in my collection, a few with signatures!

Harley is IN the house!

2011-06-16T01:47:00.004-04:00

Got this Covergirls of the DC universe Harley Quinn statue a couple of weeks ago - really nicely done!

Clara Bow....

2011-06-05T13:12:00.004-04:00

I aquired this item recently, a vintage 8 x 10" still hand-signed by Clara Bow. Photo by the great Eugene Robert Richee. Now the search begins for the perfect frame for it!

Remembering Frank Frazetta...

2011-05-10T16:57:00.006-04:00

Feb 9th, 1928 - May 10th, 2010

Thank You Frank

So long Dink....

2011-05-04T22:10:00.004-04:00

Jackie Cooper - sept 15th, 1922 - may 3rd 2011

I've had it

2011-05-01T13:57:00.002-04:00

this is ridiculous! my pics wont open in my post, it taks about 10 tries at editing to get the spacing even marginally acceptable. what a waste of time. see ya!

New Artwork...

2011-05-01T13:45:00.017-04:00

Just finished this last night...

"Lierre de Poison"

Art Nouveau style drawing of DC comics villainess Poison Ivy. I spent the entire month of April working on this nearly everyday. 97 different pencils used from 7 different brands on 18" x 24" vellum surface bristol paper. Some details below...

That was FUN! OK next?

Clara Bow Fragments...

2011-04-19T18:48:00.010-04:00

A couple of weeks ago on TCM they played a special production called "Fragments" which showcased surviving bits and pieces of lost silent films. Of greatest interest to me was the fact they were playing the only known surviving footage from Clara Bow's only color film, 1928's "Red Hair". The footage was maddeningly short of course and was quite a bittersweet experience for me. On the one hand its NEW Clara Bow which is a treat no matter how you slice it!... but on the other hand it saddens me almost to tears to think that I may never see the entire film, or any of the other 3 films she made in 1928.

Anyway, here's some screen captures to enjoy...

Early 2-strip technicolor has a surreal look to it!

Dare I say no one in history has ever looked so adorable holding a fish?

Mark my words this is gonna become the basis of a drawing of mine sometime soon!

On the left is William Austin who also costarred with her in "It" in 1927.

Happy Birthday Charlie Chaplin!

2011-04-15T22:35:00.005-04:00

A picture I did of Chaplin approx 30 years ago!

"The Rink" is still one of my all-time fave shorts of his!

Lil Miss Pewfy Pants says: "HEY....

2011-04-06T23:26:00.006-04:00

...GET BACK TO BLOGGING BUDDEH!!!!!!"

New Artwork...

2011-02-13T15:48:00.004-05:00

more fun with Harley Quinn.

I'm not happy with her expression. Its just not intense enough. Otherwise me likey. This could be a fun one to do in colored pencil and if I do I'll certainly up the ante on her gaze and all.

2H and HB pencils on 14" x 17" sketch paper.

Happy Birthday Frank Frazetta!

2011-02-09T02:05:00.004-05:00

Another tribute slideshow vid, this time showcasing some of Franks mind boggling pen/brush and ink work.

Frank Frazetta: Feb 9th, 1928 - May 10th 2010

New Artwork...

2011-02-02T19:58:00.003-05:00

Having fun with Harley Quinn again!

2H and HB pencils on 14" x 17" sketch paper.

I'm sure I'll do this one in colored pencil at some point.

New Artwork...

2011-01-27T19:56:00.004-05:00

My first new picture for 2011

Portrait of Selena Kyle a.k.a Catwoman

Title: "Cult of Purrsonality"

I thought she was a good subject to mix in with Egyptian style motifs from the Art Deco period

2H and HB pencils on 18" x 24" drawing paper

I might do a color pencil version of this as well

Dave Stevens...

2011-01-19T21:17:00.004-05:00

A few choice images created by the late great Dave Stevens, who left us WAY too soon.

July 29, 1955 – March 11, 2008

Dave autographed the first page of this 4-page story with him doing incredible ink work over Bruce Jones pencils

Happy Benday!!!

2011-01-14T18:13:00.004-05:00

The great actor William Bendix (Yo-Ho!) was born today in 1906!

Papermania - Winter 2011

2011-01-13T20:00:00.003-05:00

I spent a few days in Connecticut last weekend and one of my activities was hitting the twice a year "Papermania" show in Hartford on saturday! Lots of highly overpriced paper items of all kinds but of course I was looking for movie stuff and more specifically Clara Bow stuff of which thanks to my sharp-eyed friend Mr Door Tree I was able to pick up 2 nifty vintage Heralds at a pretty decent price!

One of the Heralds was for 1931's "No Limit", Clara's 2nd to last film at Paramount.

Here's the backside. Herlads were inexpensive flyers handed out at theaters to promote upcoming films. They came in a variety of sizes, this one being 6" x 9", and are not as inexpensive as they used to be!

The other one I picked up was for 1932's "Call Her Savage" which was Clara's big comeback film after a year away from Hollywood. Other than 1927's "Wings" this is probably her best film so I was quite happy to find this item!

The backside shows a nice array of scenes from the film. Clara made only one more film after this and then retired from Hollywood and movie making for good. She was only 26 years old!

Rembering Anne Francis - Sept 16th, 1930 - Jan. 2nd, 2011

2011-01-04T22:50:00.003-05:00

I'm very sad to hear of the passing of Anne Francis. She was a fine actress and a quite a unique and striking beauty. She appeared in 3 of what I consider to be the best films of the 1950's - "Forbidden Planet", "Blackboard Jungle" and John Sturges' tension-filled masterpiece "Bad Day at Black Rock". She also gave a first-rate performance as a manequinn come to life in the classic Twilight Zone episode "After Hours", one that always gave me big time chills as a kid and still does! Here's to you Anne!

Remembering Frank Frazetta...

2010-12-30T23:46:00.004-05:00

"I want you to know that I have very little respect for anything on earth, except man's ability to produce work such as this" - Gail Wynand in Ayn Rand's "The Fountainhead"

2010 saw the loss of some very talented and unique people in the entertainment field this year, but none hit me as hard or as personally as the passing of artist Frank Frazetta. So I wanted to say goodbye to 2010, ultimately a truly shitty year for me, by remembering Frank and his work with this little video I made. My advice for the 3 peope that will bother to watch this is save it to your HD if you can, watch it on full screen and crank up the volume!

Frank Frazetta - 2/9/1928 - 5/10/2010

Harley New Years!

2010-12-29T13:32:00.003-05:00

Last new art for 2010

"La Quinn Nouveau"

Isnt she cute?

all colored pencil on approx. 11" x 14" vellum surface Bristol paper

Artman's Bedroom Antics....Part IV

2010-12-19T18:40:00.005-05:00

The latest work in my bedroom renovations. As Clint from Heartbreak Ridge might say...

"Its a Clusterfuck sir!"

First the easy part! I got my 5 main recessed overhead lights installed and wired up the dimmer switch, nice!!

And here's my real problem...Mr. door...brown-eyed devil, plannin' on taking me back slam... *oops* sorry, had a Vin Diesel moment there...Well, take a look at this mess, is it any wonder that door NEVER shut right from the day I moved in?

I was hoping to get the old door jamb off and reinstall it again properly, but 'twas not to be! So I took a new piece of jamb wood and chiseled out the three hinge mortises (in lamens terms- chisel out a little 'seat' for the hinge to sit in so its flush with the piece of wood) and screwed it in place. The first step is always to get the hinge side installed level and tight and then work it from there. If that part is wrong the rest wont have a chance in hell of being right, as the previous door installer had so gloriously proven!

I also installed some more drywall....yeah i friggin hate working with that shit! The overhead lights look good!

Ok time to test the door and make adjustments....is it level???

GOOD ENOUGH!

So get the rest of the jamb installed and then I gotta fix my one mistake (besides starting this whole project in the first place that is!) which was I underestimated how poorly that door was installed and so I didnt cut my first piece of sheetrock wide enough, which left a gap between the door and the wall that the door trim wouldnt be wide enough to cover (check the previous pics above). So the fix was simple, just cut a small piece of sheetrock and fill in the gap. You can also see I have the "secret closet" all walled in and started taping that as well. At the end of the day the door closes like a champ, so yay for me.

Here I installed some pieces of 1/2" plywood flush into the back wall where my bed is gonna go. This is so when I install my wall sconces (which are really heavy) they will be biting into wood not drywall and I wont need wall anchors or anything else. This whole wall is going to get a new piece of sheet rock installed right over this mess and none of this will show or need to be smoothed over. I also installed 1/4" plywood on the alcove ceiling above. This is because I'm eventually going to use decorative paneling up there and it'll be way easier to install that with some wood to nail into. It's also way lighter than drywall would be. Still it was FUN putting those pieces up all by myself.

Next up is start getting the ceiling finished off. Oh yeah I just cant WAIT for that slice of hell!

Happy Birthday Kirk Douglas!

2010-12-09T18:25:00.003-05:00

Second only to Cagney as my fave actor

Still a Champion!

She's been Away Too Long!

2010-11-16T21:57:00.003-05:00

This vintage unused Clara Bow postcard arrived today from Romania, $6 including shipping!

Metropolis...

2010-11-14T21:51:00.006-05:00

Like many others, I had the very enjoyable experience of viewing the world television premiere of the newly restored Metropolis on TCM last Sunday night…

This is a film I first saw when I was very young...so young that I don’t recall ever NOT knowing of Rotwang, Maria and the “Machine Man”, and I’ve seen it many times over the years but I never enjoyed it as much as I did the other night! Partly because for the first time I am seeing the closest thing to Fritz Lang’s full length cut but also simply because, like most great films, Metropolis gets better and better with age.

The new footage was taken from a 16mm print and was in pretty bad shape, but it didn’t bother me at all and of course made it very easy to see - Yes, there is a shot I never saw, and here is a whole scene that’s “new” and holy shit this is a whole subplot that I’ve never seen before so man, talk about a kid in the candy store type thing, it was just GREAT! I would say without a doubt the actor who almost ended up getting cut from the film entirely was Fritz Rasp who played the “Thin man” character. He is probably best known as the lowlife pharmacist who molested Louise Brooks in that other German masterpiece “Diary of a Lost Girl”. He seemed to appear in at least half of the restored footage in Metropolis, most of it involving a “new” sub plot with the worker that switched places with Freder, Jon Fredersen’s son.

Certainly another reason I enjoyed this more than ever is over the last few years I have developed an intense interest (that’s a polite way of saying obsession!) with Art Deco and if there was ever ONE film that is a literal Deco feast for the eyes it is Metropolis! So I noticed so much more as far as set design, b/g’s, props etc etc, everywhere your eyes go there is something to see, a meticulous production in every respect!

As a kid I remember being fascinated by the scenes of the workers toiling at their jobs and of course the incredible transformation scene. Robot Maria is still a mesmerizing cinematic achievement!

I don’t think one can talk about this film without saying something about Brigitte Helm, I mean talk about the role of a lifetime! The contrast between her “good” and “bad” Maria’s is quite remarkable and few actresses ever took to a “Bad Girl” role with such gusto and enthusiasm! She really is unforgettable, as is the entire picture, it just staggers the mind to think this was released in 1927!

What I see i this film is a really intense visual interpretation of “The Mind/Body Dichotomy”, a concept quite prevalent in 20th century philosophy. Whereas that concept usually refers to an individual, Metropolis expands on the idea to show an entire society existing in this fashion. It’s certainly something I never keyed into before and so, meditate on this further, I will.

Another thing I noticed for the first time is the similarities between this and Lang’s First Hollywood film “Fury” with Spencer Tracy (an absolute MUST see!) in so far as the portrayal of the “masses” and mob mentality, neither film paints a pretty picture of it at all. In fact, there’s one shot of a woman tossing a torch onto the stake where “bad” Maria is being burned and in Fury there is an almost identical shot of a woman tossing a torch at the prison Tracy is locked away in. “Man’s Inhumanity to Man” is certainly a strong theme in Lang’s body of work, to the extent of which I’ve seen anyway (I am still sadly lacking in viewing his German work but have seen many of his American films)

I also see certain similarities between this and Ayn Rand’s short story “Anthem”. The life and living conditions of the workers in Metropolis are very much like how she described life for the characters in her story. Though her story takes place in a future primitive collectivized society, and her main character toiled as a lowly street sweeper, I have no doubt she was influenced by the film because she had stated Fritz Lang was her favorite director. One can also clearly see the influence on George Lucas with THX-1138 and of course, C-3PO from Star Wars is a direct descendant of Maria. I also see “Bladerunner” in those shots of the city and the new Tower of Babel, so lets just take into account how much influence Star Wars and Bladerunner have had on all the sci-fi that’s followed them!

An another note, I really enjoyed hearing the original score with this new version. The last time I saw this film it had a horrendous almost jazz type score that totally did NOT fit the imagery at all!

If you've never seen this film before, please do yourself a huge favor and rent it or catch it next time it plays on TCM!

Happy Birthday Brooksie!

2010-11-14T01:00:00.005-05:00

Louise Brooks - 11/14/1906 - 08/08/1985

Unforgettable!

The above shot is unusual as Brooksie rarely wore jewelry.

The Kansas girl who became a dancer, who became an actress, who became a has-been, who became a recluse, who became a writer, who finally became a legend!

Below are a few images from my favorite Louise Brooks film, G.W. Pabst's silent masterpiece "Diary of a Lost Girl"

"We had faces!" - Gloria Swanson, Sunset Blvd.

The Juvenille Detention center scenes are not to be missed!

Absolutely beautiful

Remembering Grace Kelly - 11/12/1929

2010-11-12T18:04:00.005-05:00

First she left Hollywood too soon, and then sadly, she left the earth too soon as well.

Artman's Bedroom Antics....Part III

2010-11-06T23:47:00.007-04:00

YES! FINALLY! I got my ass back into my bedroom renovations!!

Okay so the electrician was finally able to get out here last Thursday and wire up my ceiling lights, wall sconces, switches and new receptacles. Basically this is what's held me back from making any progress in here. I also had a brainstorm of an idea but it meant dismantling the small closet and reworking it, sort of renovating my renovation so to speak. After pondering it for about a week I decided to (paraphrasing Mommie Dearest) "RIP OUT THAT BITCH OF A CLOSET AND PUT A WALL WHERE IT OUGHT TO BEEEEE!"

ummm yeah something like that......

So to recap here's what it used to look like.....

And here's how it looks now. The closet opening has been relocated to the front wall which I'm gonna build a small display shelf on hinges to cover it, in effect, making it a "hidden closet". Doing this opened up over a foot more floor space where my bed is gonna go and that might not seem like much but believe me it will make the difference from being sort of cramped in that area to NOT being cramped at all, plus I can hang artwork or movie posters there instead of looking at a closet door. It only took about 3 hours to make that change so I'm glad I did it!

Recessed lights are all installed in the main ceiling area now, let there be LIGHT!

Tonight I installed the 2x4's that the ceiling beams will attach to. I had to tack on some strips of 1/2" plywood along one side to make the width equal to the inside dimensions of the larger beams. Working overhead is NOT fun. I still have to patch up the hole where the old woefully inadequate overhead light was.

Here you can see all the wiring for the lights that will go over my bed and the wall sconces as well. Once the celing is in place, I can hook the light fixtures up myself no problem but all that wiring was way to complex for my fragile little mind to comprehend so I hired a professional.

I used some scrap pieces and built some small dummy beams to see how they would look. 2 larger beams with smaller ones intersecting like a tic-tac-toe thing, it'll be hella cool! Of course these are just rough, the finished ones will have nice rounded edges and be stained the same color as the rest of the trim in the room.

Here you can see how it gets installed. Just slips over the 2x4 and then either nailed or screwed in place. The 2 larger beams are gonna be made out of 14' pine boards and should be a laugh riot to install once they're built! I may actually have to find someone to help me with that part of it!

Because I can.

To be continued...

COMICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-11-05T01:35:00.010-04:00

This past weekend I attended my first comic convention in almost 15 years! I was mostly on the lookout for Silver Age Flash comics, more specifically from the intitial run of issues penciled by Carmine Infantino, #'s 105-174.

#124, I believe to be the 2nd appearance of Captain Boomerang. Flash took an awful lot of shit from that guy, luckily Elongated man was around to help out this time!

#130, I always LOVE when Flash's "Rogues Gallery" makes an appearance! I believe this is the first issue for that!

Issue # 131, the first issue with a Silver-Age Green Lantern crossover! I always loved this cover!

Issue #151 has Jay Garrick, the Golden Age Flash and Shade making an appearance. Awesome cover, Shade is one of the coolest looking of Flash's villains! That is most certainly Murphy Anderson inking Infantino on that one, IMO the greatest penciler-inker team in comics history!

#158 - Flash becomes the "One Man Justice League"!

#118, I didnt find this at the convention, this was a gift from my very good friend Mr Door Tree. The lead story is Infantino/Anderson and it's a beauty! Thank you Mr Tree!

I also found a dealer with a big stack of Harley Quinn issues all priced at 50 cents a peach, sooooooo....

This cover is SILLY!

All in all it was great fun to be at one of these conventions again but I have to say I was a bit appalled at how disorganized some of the dealers kept their stuff. I would think in this economy they'd do eveything possible to make going through stacks of comics easy and fun - not a chore, not sifting through a box with DC, Marvel, Darkhorse etc, etc, all mixed together and nothing priced!!!

Anyhoo, now I have 33 issues left to get to have the entire run of Flashes I want but a lot of them are the early ones and are way more pricey *sigh*

and to think years ago I had this whole run plus 2 of the Flash Showcase issues as well....oh man, I could cry!!!

I think I will...but secretly!

Happy Birthday Burt Lancaster!

2010-11-02T23:04:00.003-04:00

One of the finest actors, producers and forces of nature to ever step in front of a movie camera, Burt was born on this day in 1913.

I have never tried to compile a "fave actors" list but I'm certain Burt would be in the top 10 if I did! With 87 screen and TV credits to his name, Burt appeared in all kinds of roles and had a great range, but drama was his forte' IMO and there's no doubt he gave some of the most forceful and dynamic performances in screen history!

"Just watching Burt lancaster walk across a room was a thing of beauty!" - John Frankenheimer

"The first time I saw myself onscreen, I thought I looked TERIBBLE! My hair looked like a bird's nest!" - Burt Lancaster

There are still a number of Burt's films I have yet to see so this is not all inclusive as of yet, but here is my "Essential Burt Lancaster" list to date:

"The Killers" - 1946

"Brute Force" - 1947

"I walk Alone" - 1948

"Rope of Sand" - 1949

"The Flame and the Arrow" - 1950

"From Here to Eternity" - 1953

"Gunfight at O.K. Coral" - 1957

"Sweet Smell of Success" - 1957

"Run Silent, Run Deep" - 1958

"Seperate Tables" - 1958

"Elmer Gantry" - 1960

Birdman of Alcatraz" - 1962

"Seven Days in May" - 1964

"The Train" - 1964

"The Professionals" - 1966

New Artwork...

2010-10-17T14:14:00.004-04:00

Yup, another Harley Quinn!

Awwww now isnt she sweet!

Title: "Stuck in the Middle"

as in "Clowns to the left of me, Joker's to the right, here I am....."

as in "Ever listen to K-Billy's super sounds of the 70's?"

Colored pencil and Neo Color II crayons on 14"x18" museum board.

It's for sale - you like it, you buy it!

I'd like to say I'm all Harley-ed out for now but I have ideas for 2 more pictures of her so....

New Artwork...

2010-10-15T23:32:00.004-04:00

Just in time for Harley-Ween!

Inspired by Mucha's "Moon and Stars" series, I took a slightly less serious approach. Colored Pencil and Neo Color II crayons on 15"x31" museum board. Many thanks to the model Rachel. The figure study was posted sometime ago but I really didnt know what to do with it, so I put it aside and went onto something else. Eventually these things work themselves out, usually when I'm not actually trying to think of it.

This is just an Art Nouveau warm-up for the picture of Poison Ivy that I'm working on....see me in about 2 months!

New Artwork...

2010-10-03T22:27:00.004-04:00

Another Harley Quinn drawing...she's fun!

Isnt she sweet?

I was really just doodling in my sketch book and came up with this, but I liked it enough to scan it, print it out larger and rework it as a finished sketch to be done in colored pencil at a later date.

HB, 2B and 8B pencils on 14" x 17" sketch paper

New Artwork...

2010-09-24T01:51:00.003-04:00

The color version of the Harley Quinn sketch I posted here a while back

I finished this well over a month ago and forgot to post it here!

All colored pencil on museum board.

Sheeeee's Back!

2010-09-04T00:16:00.003-04:00

4 years ago this weekend a little gray fuzball came to live with me and now she's a full grown Pewfball! A bit of video sillyness to commemorate this solemn occasion!

Happy Birthday Robert DeNiro!

2010-08-17T13:59:00.008-04:00

Hard to believe the Maestro turns 67 today!!! Some pics from my fave DeNiro film and fave DeNiro performance... as Travis Bickle in Martin Scorsese's "Taxi Driver"

"I think I got stomach cancer"

"Someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets"

"Now THAT you should see!!"

"I'll see ya later copper!"

"You talkin' ta me?"

"I dont think that one should devote themselves to morbid self-attention, I think that one should become a person, like other people."

"Suck on this!"

"All the animals come out at night..."

Essential DeNiro:

"Mean Streets" - 1973

"The Godfather II" - 1974

"Taxi Driver" - 1976

"The Deer Hunter" 1978

"Raging Bull" - 1980

"The King of Comedy" - 1982

"Once Upon a Time in America" - 1984

"The Mission" - 1986

"Midnight Run" - 1988

"Jacknife" - 1989

"Goodfellas" - 1990

"Awakenings" - 1990

"Cape Fear" - 1991

"This Boy's Life" - 1993

"A Bronx Tale" - 1993

"Casino" - 1995

"Heat" - 1995

"Jackie Brown" - 1997

"Ronin" - 1998

"The Score" - 2001

Happy Birthday Alfred Hitchcock!

2010-08-13T18:03:00.008-04:00

The Master of Suspense was born today in 1899...A few pics to celebrate an incredible artist and one of the true cinematic geniuses!

I always think of Hitchcock, Capra and Ford as being very similar film makers. Not in style or types of films obviously but those 3 artists more than any others of their day had an incredible ability to combine commercial sensibilty and personal expression.

Hitch was an incredibly savvy self-promoter and made damn sure he was as well-known and recognizable as any star that ever appeared in his films! One might go so far as to say the real true star of an Alfred Hitchcock film was Alfred Hitchcock!

I love this shot!

"Notorious", imo the best of the 4 films he made for David O. Selznick.

"You do my murder and I do yours...Criss Cross!"

Robert Walker in the performance of his career as psychopath Bruno Antony, a very clever fellow!

On the set of "Rear Window", like I have to tell anyone!

One of the Master's most enjoyable films for me. This was the one that started my obsession with Hitchcock when I was a teenager.

"Vertigo" probably contains my favorite Bernard Herrmann's score. He did so many great ones but that one just gets inside me!

A rather iconic moment for Cary Grant!

"My mother...what's the phrase....she's not herself today."

Tippi Hedren in "Marnie" one of the Masters most underrated films imo. No way can anyone take in all the things going on in this film in just one viewing!

Hitch's sense of humor was priceless!

RIP Patricia Neal

2010-08-09T15:48:00.004-04:00

January 20th, 1926 - August 8th, 2010